[overseas baggie]

Surely he has seen our results and position in the table and must intervene?

Only if there’s cash available to pay him off, which there clearly isn’t - at least until December - hopefully…

[johnny Cash]

Even £120m was way too much. I asked the questions numerous times pre lai how you could buy us at that sort of money and make money and nobody could give any decent answer. In a closed prem yes, not with our ongoing realistic threat of relegation.

Lai’s only hope is to get smart to running a football club and fast. Otherwise he’s selling us in a few years for well under £30m.  Come the end of this season I think our value is probably under £50m.

Leaving Bruce in play doesn’t suggest he’s going to get smart any anytime soon though.

This season looked like all or nothing and given the state we are in, we look ****** for years to come.

[tlms-p23]

Even £120m was way too much. I asked the questions numerous times pre lai how you could buy us at that sort of money and make money and nobody could give any decent answer. In a closed prem yes, not with our ongoing realistic threat of relegation.

Lai’s only hope is to get smart to running a football club and fast. Otherwise he’s selling us in a few years for well under £30m.  Come the end of this season I think our value is probably under £50m.

Leaving Bruce in play doesn’t suggest he’s going to get smart any anytime soon though.

This season looked like all or nothing and given the state we are in, we look ****** for years to come.

We’re ******* away every competitive advantage available to us. Parachute payments stop after this season (if you’re only in the Prem for one season, PP are 2yrs not 3) and profit skimmed off the top.

We will be a normal Championship club after this season. We will still owe x3 2.5m payments for Karlan Grant. Phillips, Bartley, Wallace, Swift, Yokuslu, Diangana will all be in contract (if any of them are on less than 15k a week I’d be surprised). Livermore and Zohore big earners also but out of contract in summer.

Can absolutely guarantee we cannot afford them all without parachute payments and an owner who doesn’t put in their own cash.

I’m amazed at the evaporation of urgency to get out of the league compared to even 9 months ago when we sacked Ismael while in the play offs. Likewise Moore 3 + 1/2 years ago.

Far more difficult days ahead if we continue sleepwalking and lowering standards like we are.

[overseas baggie]

Even £120m was way too much. I asked the questions numerous times pre lai how you could buy us at that sort of money and make money and nobody could give any decent answer. In a closed prem yes, not with our ongoing realistic threat of relegation.

Lai’s only hope is to get smart to running a football club and fast. Otherwise he’s selling us in a few years for well under £30m.  Come the end of this season I think our value is probably under £50m.

Leaving Bruce in play doesn’t suggest he’s going to get smart any anytime soon though.

This season looked like all or nothing and given the state we are in, we look f****d for years to come.

I don’t think £120m was too much at all.  TV money was on the rise, we’d been making profits for several years (I think only Arsenal did likewise) and had no debt.  There’s a premium for buying any business which generates a positive investment return.  The chance of buying into a rising TV rights income without having to inject any money to the business made us far miss valuable than many similar-sized clubs.

[Dan]

We’re pi$$ing away every competitive advantage available to us. Parachute payments stop after this season (if you’re only in the Prem for one season, PP are 2yrs not 3) and profit skimmed off the top.

We will be a normal Championship club after this season. We will still owe x3 2.5m payments for Karlan Grant. Phillips, Bartley, Wallace, Swift, Yokuslu, Diangana will all be in contract (if any of them are on less than 15k a week I’d be surprised). Livermore and Zohore big earners also but out of contract in summer.

Can absolutely guarantee we cannot afford them all without parachute payments and an owner who doesn’t put in their own cash.

I’m amazed at the evaporation of urgency to get out of the league compared to even 9 months ago when we sacked Ismael while in the play offs. Likewise Moore 3 + 1/2 years ago.

Far more difficult days ahead if we continue sleepwalking and lowering standards like we are.

We'll be lucky to be that the way its going. We very much look like a relegation bound side under Bruce and appear to have no pressure on him.

Lai appears to have given up completely. Sacked previous managers for far less.

[overseas baggie]

We’re pi$$ing away every competitive advantage available to us. Parachute payments stop after this season (if you’re only in the Prem for one season, PP are 2yrs not 3) and profit skimmed off the top.

We will be a normal Championship club after this season. We will still owe x3 2.5m payments for Karlan Grant. Phillips, Bartley, Wallace, Swift, Yokuslu, Diangana will all be in contract (if any of them are on less than 15k a week I’d be surprised). Livermore and Zohore big earners also but out of contract in summer.

Can absolutely guarantee we cannot afford them all without parachute payments and an owner who doesn’t put in their own cash.

I’m amazed at the evaporation of urgency to get out of the league compared to even 9 months ago when we sacked Ismael while in the play offs. Likewise Moore 3 + 1/2 years ago.

Far more difficult days ahead if we continue sleepwalking and lowering standards like we are.

Diangana likely to have to be sold I suspect.  We are also owed a lot of money for Pereira but I suspect those installments will only cancel out what we still need to pay out for Grant.

[baggie82]

I don’t think £120m was too much at all.  TV money was on the rise, we’d been making profits for several years (I think only Arsenal did likewise) and had no debt.  There’s a premium for buying any business which generates a positive investment return.  The chance of buying into a rising TV rights income without having to inject any money to the business made us far miss valuable than many similar-sized clubs.

The profit was tiny. Our TV rights income was only ever guaranteed for 12 months as with our low revenue we started every premiership reason with the realistic prospect of relegation. The trick was to try to grow the size of the club but Peace was never going to commit to capital investment that would have affected his profit.  As for Lai, he's a joke, and the club unfortunately now is one of many many championship clubs, likely to be at this level for decades or worse We are the new Bolton, Blackburn, Reading, Boro, Birmingham.

[overseas baggie]

The profit was tiny. Our TV rights income was only ever guaranteed for 12 months as with our low revenue we started every premiership reason with the realistic prospect of relegation. The trick was to try to grow the size of the club but Peace was never going to commit to capital investment that would have affected his profit.  As for Lai, he's a joke, and the club unfortunately now is one of many many championship clubs, likely to be at this level for decades or worse We are the new Bolton, Blackburn, Reading, Boro, Birmingham.

The point is that all other PL clubs were making losses each year.  Peace wasn’t “cooking the books” because the accounting policies were consistent.  You can’t inflate profits consistently because it will always catch up with you.   That’s why Lai was able to say - as he did - that he wouldn’t be putting any funds into the club.  He certainly delivered on that!

Peace knew he couldn’t move the club forward as all his wealth was tied up in the shares.  He couldn’t inject funds.  All he could do was make it as attractive as possible for someone to buy by being a “steady” PL club.  That’s why Pulis was the man he needed.

The one crumb of comfort is that several clubs in recent years have been promoted without parachute funding. Good coaching and good recruitment with a good academy.  It can be done - but needs wholesale change.

[OldburyWBA]

Any comments made on this forum at anytime suggesting anyone is or has been cooking books will be removed.

Do not put any suggestion or insinuations like this unless you have factual evidence to prove anything.

[gazberg]

The 40 million valuation was by peace when he was trying to squeeze the small shareholders out. This was never the true value of the club, just JP getting greedy.

Also the market cap value doesn't reflect the true value of a business. Very normal for a business to sell for multiples of it's share price.

[tex]

you have to wonder what he is thinking, pulled the trigger on others much faster than this. Its almost like he has completely lost interest and has written his investment off.

[gazberg]

you have to wonder what he is thinking, pulled the trigger on others much faster than this. Its almost like he has completely lost interest and has written his investment off.

I believe that to be the case  Holding in the hope of some miraculous return to the PL one day without realising the chance of it diminishes every year he holds us

[johnny Cash]

Maybe he hasn’t been the one to pull these trigger previously. He might have allowed Jenkins, Dowling, Williams, Ron etc to make those calls.

[paulosull]

Diangana likely to have to be sold I suspect.  We are also owed a lot of money for Pereira but I suspect those installments will only cancel out what we still need to pay out for Grant.

still got parachute payments coming for next season as club structured it over three seasons, so funds available.

[gazberg]

still got parachute payments coming for next season as club structured it over three seasons, so funds available.

Depends if Lai borrowed anymore last season i guess. THe rumoured spread budget could be for Lai to utilise not WBA. We will find out next year anyway!

[paulosull]

Depends if Lai borrowed anymore last season i guess. THe rumoured spread budget could be for Lai to utilise not WBA. We will find out next year anyway!

true, and when payments finally cease hopefully he goes bankrupt and someone can buy club at a price where they can invest in first team.

[Groovephil]

Do we think Lai was involved in the bullet?

[paulosull]

Do we think Lai was involved in the bullet?

if he values his investment I’d say yes probably got Ron flying out to China as we speak to explain the mess he’s overseen.

[liverbaggie]

I certainly wouldn't buy a football club, rarely do people make money when they sell.
It's an ego thing and in business that's usually a fatal decision

[LiamTheBaggie]

If he was involved in his sacking then its nice of him to turn up and show an interest in the club other than using it for paltry interest free loans.

[Bazabaggie73]

On twitter a few people saying we're about to have new owners, ha have no idea if it's true and it's to do with the article in the daily mail yesterday regarding fairway trust in Jersey 🤷

[dangerman]

On twitter a few people saying we're about to have new owners, ha have no idea if it's true and it's to do with the article in the daily mail yesterday regarding fairway trust in Jersey 🤷

I very much think it’s wishful thinking.

Maybe JP has come back for another go?   

Edit: just had a look on twitter, it’s not coming from any reliable sources yet and the only thing that has actually been said is there is some movement at the top of the business. Could just well be the owner getting his house in order for a sale or he’s fed up with how the club is run and wanting to change thing up, who knows.

There was all that talk with things being set up in Jersey recently.

[Mister AT]

I very much think it’s wishful thinking.

Maybe JP has come back for another go?   

Edit: just had a look on twitter, it’s not coming from any reliable sources yet and the only thing that has actually been said is there is some movement at the top of the business. Could just well be the owner getting his house in order for a sale or he’s fed up with how the club is run and wanting to change thing up, who knows.

There was all that talk with things being set up in Jersey recently.

Yeah it’s come off the back of the daily mail article yesterday claiming there is a group that have dealings with us and have refused to speak to any of the shareholders etc. someone’s shared it and the usual “ITKs” have put 2 and 2 together and got 7

[baggie82]

On twitter a few people saying we're about to have new owners, ha have no idea if it's true and it's to do with the article in the daily mail yesterday regarding fairway trust in Jersey 🤷

Interesting, here is the press story:

"West Bromwich shareholders are angry at the secrecy surrounding the club after being denied information about why those in charge have set up a new holding company, the Jersey-based Fairway Trust.

After numerous requests for information one shareholder contacted Fairway Trust managing director Mark Andrews, who told him the club had instructed them not to take calls from shareholders or fans.

Around 12 per cent of West Brom is still owned by 430 small shareholders, who have been left enraged by the financial mismanagement of owner Guochuan Lai, who has taken a £5m loan from the club and missed the repayment date."

[Groovephil]

You’d love it to be true and a takeover was happening but nothing from anybody I’d trust.